5541 18 Silica-Filled Polymer Microcomposites

elastomers. Hence, the compound viscosity is higher while silica is incorporated in

nonpolar rubber than polar rubber.
Moreover, at low shear rates, strong filler-filler interaction exists quite profoundly and
hence the silica-filled rubber compounds exhibit higher Mooney viscosity. At higher
shear rates, disruption of silica filler aggregates relatively reduces the effect, which has
been discussed in the subsequent section.
It is also probable that active surface groups present in silica filler also critically affect
the curing characteristics of unvulcanized filled rubber compounds. Amine groups
present in the accelerators commonly used in sulfur cure systems are prone to interact
with silanol groups present in silica surface and hence reduce their availability for
vulcanization reactions. Likewise, use of ZnO in the rubber formulation may cause
reaction of zinc ions with silica filler particles and hence significantly reduce the curing
efficiency.
As compared to carbon black, the adverse effect on processability and cross-linking
reactions by increasing the compound viscosity and slowing down the cure rates
especially in the cases ofZnO and sulfur based cure systems restrict the use of silica
filler (29].
Therefore it is quite essential to reduce the hydrophilicity, that is, increasing the
hydrophobicity of silica while using this as the reinforcing filler to design the
compound formulation. Hence, for nonpolar elastomers, it is a common practice to use
surface modifiers along with silica filler to improve the filler dispersion in the polymer
matrix by reducing filler-filler interactions and enhancing polymer-filler interactions.
Surface pretreatment of the silica filler also contributes significantly in controlling
compound viscosity during processing stage and enhancing the vulcanizate properties.
To diminish the silica-silica interaction silane coupling agents are commonly employed
in the silica-based formulations. Use of softeners, for example, hydrogenated rosin or
aromatic resins are also helpful in reducing viscosity. Activators such as glycols, for
example, diethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, amines, for example, triethanolamine
and so on, are used as well in compounding, which interact with silanol groups of silica
and forms a protective layer on silica particles and disrupts the silica-silica interaction
and hence reduces such undesirable effects and consequently improves the dispersion
quality and improves the cure efficiency.

18.3.2
Effect of Silica Filler on Vulcanizate Properties of Rubber Compounds

18.3.2.1 Mechanical Properties

As a reinforcing filler, silica can improve modulus at high elongation, tensile strength,
tear strength, heat resistance of a rubber compound. Addition of silica filler helps
dissipating the strain energy and hence provides its ability to function as reinforcing
filler. Due to strong filler-filler interaction in silica, a portion of the rubber gets trapped
within the silica aggregates, known as occluded rubber. With increasing the filler
loading, the occluded rubber formation increases that contribute in the process of
modulus increments of the vulcanizates. A comparison of primary